The Biden administration this week launched a new public messaging campaign aimed at would-be illegal immigrants that warns that “immigration laws are tougher” in the United States, even as border officials have begun releasing thousands migrants to the United States, according to the administration’s plan.
The Department of Homeland Security says its message this week is designed to “counter lies peddled by smugglers” near the end of Title 42, a COVID-19 emergency policy that allowed border agents to turn back migrants at the border. The ads will run in South and Central American countries on social media with messages such as “ILLEGAL CROSSING IS A CRIME”, “US IMMIGRATION LAWS ARE MORE DIFFICULT” and “INFORM YOU AND OBEY THE LAW”.
BORDER PATROL LEADS THE WAY FOR MORE MIGRANT RELEASES TO CITY STREETS, SOURCES SAY ‘THE DAM IS ABOUT BREAK’
“CROSSING ILLEGALLY IS A CRIME,” the ad reads. “AMERICAN IMMIGRATION LAWS ARE MORE DIFFICULT.”
However, these messages contrast with reports from Fox News that President Biden’s top border officials will authorize border patrol sectors, including government and non-government facilities, to release migrants onto the streets of the United States if they reach their full capacity.
The decision came as around 10,000 migrants a day were pouring into the border before Title 42 ended on Thursday. Migrants will soon be released en masse at bus stops, gas stations and in towns across the border due to facilities already at capacity, customs and police sources told Fox News. protection of US borders.
Signs emerged on Thursday that thousands of people have already been released. Border Patrol agents were holding 28,000 migrants Wednesday, but that number dropped to 26,000 as some were released, CBP sources said.
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The Biden administration on Wednesday launched a migrant ad campaign that says its “tougher immigration laws” but its border plan would allow all patrol sectors to release migrants onto city streets.
Title 42 authorized the refoulement of hundreds of thousands of migrants at the border. Almost half of the encounters with migrants in March ended in deportation under Title 42.
The DHS ad campaign to migrants traveling to the southern border attempts to counter claims of “coyotes” who attempt to smuggle migrants across the border for profit.
“The coyotes ripped us off,” one ad read. “Entering the United States illegally is a crime. Say no to the coyote.”
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas emphasized a similar message during a press conference on Wednesday.
“The smugglers only care about profit, not about people. They don’t care about you or your well-being. Don’t believe their lies,” he urged the migrants. “Don’t risk your life and savings to be deported from the United States, if and when you get here.”
AS MIGRANT WAVE HITS BORDER, MAYORKAS SAYS IT WILL ‘TAKE TIME’ FOR RESULTS OF TITLE 42 PLAN TO BE REALIZED
President Biden has visited the border once since taking office. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Mayorkas said the border is not open, but admitted border encounters are expected to increase significantly.
“Even after almost two years of preparation, we expect to see a large number of encounters on our southern border in the days and weeks following May 11,” he said. “We are already seeing a high number of encounters in certain sectors. This is putting incredible pressure on our staff, our facilities and our communities with whom we work closely.”
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“The vast majority will be processed at our Border Patrol facilities and our ICE detention centers,” Mayorkas continued.
Biden told reporters on Wednesday that the border would be “chaotic for a while.”
Bill Melugin, Chris Pandolfo and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
